Expander and applicator for pipe protector collars



26, 1952 J. H. GOODE 2,607,984

EXPANDER AND APPLICATOR FOR PIPE PROTECTOR COLLARS Filed Nov. 15, 1948 JOSEPH H. GOODE INVEN TOR.

BY w

ATTORNEW Patented Aug. 26, 1952 2.607.984 EXiYANBER' ANDAPPLICATOR Fen PIPE j f e rno'rneron Co LARs doseph fl. Geode, Houston, Tex.

- This-invention relates=to a protector c'o'lla'r expander and applicator and to the =meth'od of expandin a collarof resilient material} as--rubber, and then fitting the expanded coll'ar to fir'nily contract around a' tubular element of lesser outer diameter than the inner-diameter of the expanded collar. v

- It is an object of 'this invention -to" providea protector collar expander" and a method of expanding'it in which the-collaris expanded over a bucket assembly as the'assembly is' moved to force the collar against a-- stationarily h'eld resil-- ient-pressure'pad.

It isa further object o'f' this inventio'n to provide'an applicator for removing the-expanded collar from the bucket assembly tocontract It is still another objectiofi' this invention: to

provide a device of this class in which the means for operating the expander: and for operating the applicator may be combined. in :asingle unit;

Other and further: objects of; this invention will be obviouswwhen the specification. is considered in. connection. with the drawings;v in

which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partin section, showing the expander assembly. prior to. expanding a collar on to a bucket unit;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, part insection', taken along line 2-2 ofFig. 1, which shows the expander unit after it has-been operated toexpand the collar;

- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan. view'of a section of the expander showingthe zoriera'ting; system therefor;

Fig. 4 isa sectional elevationrofsthe applicator as it is being fitted oyerithe tooljoint .at the: end ofa pipe stand;

Fig. 5 is an elevationxoi 'the applicator after it has been operatedtto' forceaniexpanded collar from sleeve to pipe; 7.

L Fig. 6 is a sectional-elevationitakenialong'line 6''-61of-Fig. 5,z: l i v nmsneati'mnovemter 15, 1948 Serial No. ea ner 1 y 1 2: Claims; (01. 29+23s) An expander assemblyli comprises a rim-mm. which has mounted at-the toti thereoi the pressu're' pad-3; the bolts 4 passi l'lg -thrligh the-walls of the cylindricalframeelement 5 to hold the pressure pad 3 u a ainstgravity; A mandrel 6 is threaded through the frame topfljand through a stop plate 8,-which is re'cessed-in the pressure pad. Thenthe nut: 9 1s threaded on to the mandrel to firmlypositien it with-relation to the frame. The mandrel -fi i'ssiifficiently long to extend through the pressure-'-- pad an'dtoreceive thereon a protector collar: Ii -which in normal form is of sufficiently large diameter: to slide over the mandrel with su-filcient friction to maintain it thereon against gravity.

An assembly including-a; hydraulic cylinder 12, a piston rod l4 and ar ciip Z I is mounted on the frame base IS in" axiaLalign-ment With the mandrel axis; The cylinder hastherei-n a piston rod M which extends-above thecylinder-'to"re. ceive at the top thereof, the head I5. A bucket assembly l6, comprising the sleevel'l, thecon'e l8 fitted on topof the sleeve; and-the basel9 which receives the sleeve- I1 has-amend pertion 1 20 thereon which fits within the piston l 41'- A cup2l; of a hard-material having some resiliency, as neoprena-and which comprises-the piston member of the piston-assembly, is -fitted on the lower end of thepiston I4;- and tightly against "the inner-wall of the cylinder |2. =T-he pipe line 2-2-- extends -fi' om bel'ow the: frame b'ase [3 through the cylinder base zs to communicate with; the inner portionof the" cup: 2-l andto' operate'tlieiston-as will be; hereinafter'd '31 to whichis connected a flexible line 'iisrtvl'lich leads to the-applicator 'to"- be hereinafter described. A -prime mover 39;:as a; gasoline engine; is connected by'means of coupling: 40". to arspeed reducer 4'1 and'the crank 42=tof=this speed' reduce'r. is connected byia suitable syste'ni o'f link ages :43 tooperatethapump301' When the operator is ready to expand a protector collar, he turns the handle 33 to close off the re-circulating passage 3|, opens the valve 24, closes the valve 31, and starts the engine 39. This engine operates the pump through the speed reducer 4| to pump fluid into the piston I4, so that the force of this fluid acting on the cup 2| will move the piston upwardly so that the mandrel 6 will pass inside the cone 18 with the result that the top annular face 45 of the cone will come into contact with the end face 45 of the collar II.

The resilient collar will first be forced back 7 against the raised portion 48 of the pressure pad 3 and then as the pressure pad is further compressed, the collar II will begin to. expand over the side face 49 of the cone. Further operation of the pump will force the raised portion 48 of the pressure pad 3 upwardly with the final result as shown in Fig. 2 that the cone becomes embedded within the pressure padand the collar ll becomes expanded upon the sleeve I6. The effectsof dampening the impact of thisoperation, as by forcing one resilient material, the cone ll, a ainst another resilient material, the pressure pad 3, is further abetted by the fact that the lightening holes 50 are provided in the pressure pad. The proportions of this pressure ad are suchthat by the time the cone; has been embedded therein'at a desired distance as shown in Fig. 2,1 the holes 5 have beeen completely closed as'indicatedby the lines 52, and the pressure pad sidewall 54 has been forced outwardly approximately in contact with the wallof the frame element 4. V r

At this point, the operator turns the handle 33 to open the re-circulating-linetl and then the fluid within the cylinder l2 flows back therefrom as the weight of thebucket assembly It moves downwardly through gravity to force the piston l4 down to the bottom of its stroke. After this has happened, the valve 24 maybe closed so that the pump 30, merely re-circulates fluid therethrough, or preferablythe engine 39 may be stopped to shutoff the machine.

When the bucket assembly 16, with .the expanded collar thereon, has returnedgto lower position, it is an easy matter; for the operator first to remove the cone [8 andv then to lift the sleevel'l off of the base [9 and;position it over.

the tool joint 5| of a pipe stand 52, which is propped up by any conventional means, not shown. The sleeve may then be moved further along the pipe 52 to some preferred convenient distance near the tool joint at which it may be .desired to apply a protector collar. a 7

As shown in Fig. 4, the flexible line 38 may be connected, as by the union 56, to the end of a hollow piston 51 which has on the other end thereof a cup 58 of resilient material similar to the cup 2|. In assembly, the cup end of the piston 51 is enclosed within the hydraulic cylinder 60 with the side of the cup in sliding contact with the inner wall thereof. The outer end of the piston 51 extends through the end 6| of the cylinder 60 and is threaded through the anchor plate 62 and afiixed to the post 63 which termi nates in the square section 64, adapted to be received at hole 65 of square cross section shown in Fig. 2 in the sleeve IT. The cylinder in turn, in assembly is threaded into the pusher plate 66 which is adapted to fit around the upper periphery of the turn down collar receiving portion 61 of the sleeve [1. The length of the sleeve portion 61 is sufiicient to receive thereon the collar I! with sufilclent length being left adjacent the shoulder portion 68 to receive the width of the pusher plate 66.

When the applicator 44 has been positioned on the sleeve [1, as shown in Fig. 4, and. the sleeve and assembled applicator are at the position along'the pipe 52 at which the collar II is to be installed, the valve 24 is closed and the valve 31 is opened so as to direct "fluid through the flexible line 38 into the piston 51. v

This results in fluid pressure being built up 7 against the cup 58 to force the cylinder l5!) forward so that the pusher plate 66 forces the collar ,H off of the sleeve portion 61 and immediately' thereafter it tightly contracts around the pipe .52 upon the dis-establishment of contact between collar and. sleeve.

It is herein pointed out that, whereas the drawing discloses apparatus adapted for expanding and. then installing the collar on a pipe in sequence, this invention is not limited to such a sequence pf step s, but it is also adapted for an assembly line operation whereby one collar may beexpanded while another collar is bein applied to ;a pipe. ltis obvious that such may be accomplished by providing a plurality of sleeves I1 so that one sleeve, or a plurality of sleeves may be employedwith an applicator, or plurality of applicators on pipe while another sleeve is being employed inthe bucket assembly 16 to have a collar expanded thereon. This arrangement may obviouslybe obtained by providing a pump 30 which is adapted, by any of several well known means, to operate an ap- V plicator or applicators, by a separate channel of flow or several separate channels of'flow at the same time that another channel of flow from the same pump operates the piston l4 to expandacollar. 7

Broadly, this invention relates to a collar expander and applicator in which a bucket assembly is'moved againstv a collar to force it against :a stationarily held pressure pad to expand the collar onto the sleeve of the bucket assembly, and the invention also relates to an applicatorywhich is; simply constructed to force the. expanded collar Jofiof-a sleeve from a bucket assembly by employing a minimum of moveable parts. What is claimed is: ii i. 1. A protector collar ".expander comprising a base, a frame supportedabove. said base, a resilient pressure padlsupported in 'saidfr'ame, a mandrel onhsaid frame iand'lextending down- Wardlylthrough said pressure pad and adapted to slidably receive an unexpanded protector collar thereon below said pressure pad, a cylinder mounted on said base and having a closed upper end with a bore therethrough; apiston in said cylinder and having La piston rod .to 'extend through said'bore, a'head mounted onsaid rod and supported above'saidclosed upper end when said piston is in its lowest position, said head having an annular ring portion fora'sleeve adapted to be removably mountedion's'aid'he'ad and adapted to fit said ring portion to center the sleeve coaxially with said rod, the upper end of said sleeve being adapted 'to'f havei'c'entered thereon an upwardly :and inwardly: tapered cone having a bore through the upperJend' of 'said cone to receivesaid mandrel therethrough; and means adapted to-admit. pressure "fluid :into said cylinder below said piston to elevate said red, head, sleeve, and cone-to press said: cone laga'inst said collar and said collar against.Zs'aid. pressure pad and to force said collar over said cone and onto said sleeve as said cone bore extends around said mandrel, said pressure fluid means being also releasable to permit said piston to descend to position said cone below said mandrel whereby said cone may be removed from said sleeve, and said sleeve, with expanded collar thereon, may be lifted from said head.

2. A protector collar expander comprising a base, a frame supported above said base, a resilient pressure pad supported in said frame, a mandrel on said frame and extending downwardly through said pressure pad and adapted to slidably receive an unexpanded protector collar thereon below said pressure pad, a cylinder mounted on said base and having a closed upper end with a bore therethrough, a piston in said cylinder and having a piston rod to extend through said bore, a head mounted on said rod and supported above said closed upper end when said piston is in its lowest position, said head having an annular marginal portion fora sleeve adapted to be removably mounted on said head to fit said marginal portion to center said sleeve coaxially with said rod, the upper end of said 25 sleeve being adapted to have removably centered REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

1 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,252,692 Barnes et al Aug. 19, 1941 2,303,689 Graham Dec. 1, 1942 2,320,553 Barnes June 1, 1943 2,327,088 Barnes et a1 Aug. 17, 1943 2,328,771 Barnes Sept. 7, 1943 2,446,621 Thiry Aug. 10, 1948 2,457,647 Dodge Dec. 28, 1948 2,497,921 Ballard Feb. 21, 1950 

